INTERVIEW: ‘The Song of the Butterflies,’ a portrait of an Indigenous painter, to premiere on PBS
Photo: The Song of the Butterflies follows the artistic journey of Rember Yahuarcani. Photo courtesy of PBS / Provided by Cinema Tropical with permission.
The Song of the Butterflies, the new documentary from debut filmmaker Núria Frigola Torrent, is set to premiere Monday, Aug. 30 at 10 pm. as part of the POV program on PBS. The film tells the story of Rember Yahuarcani, an Indigenous painter from the White Heron clan of the Uitoto Nation in Peru, according to press notes.
As a painter, Yahuarcani is a fascinating person to learn from because his story is so intertwined with the history of Peru and the Uitoto Nation. At a young age, he tried for a successful career in Lima, the capital of Peru, and only later in life did he return to the Amazonian community of Pebas to gather inspiration from his family and culture, in particular his mother and father, both artists as well.
By telling Yahuarcani’s story, The Song of the Butterflies essentially tells the story of Indigenous history and the Uitoto Nation’s unique culture and persistent challenges from economic interests encroaching on their ancestral practices. It’s an extraordinary story of resilience, creativity, devastation and art.
“I was very interested about stories on Indigenous migrants in Lima, so I started back in 2014 through documentary research to look for characters,” Torrent said in a recent phone interview. “So in this search, many people pointed me [to] Rember. They told me, he’s a painter. He’s interesting. So he was in Lima, and we met in a cafeteria. And in that very first conversation, I think we had a click. I remember that in that conversation with him and with other people I was meeting, I asked him about what it meant for him to be a good Uitoto. … He told me, ‘My grandmother, Marta, told me that a good Uitoto is someone who knows his history and knows how to spread it.’ … So in that very first conversation, it was two years before starting the real shooting, I think we had the essence of the film.”
Torrent said it took a lot of time to win the trust of the painter. She began by showing him various works she had completed as a producer, this way he knew she would create a serious work of art. Then, throughout the intervening years, she kept reminding him that they were working toward a finished product, although the timeline was quite long, lasting more than six years.
“Also, it took time in the second phase to accept us in his studio,” she said. “It was not that easy to be there when he was painting because at the beginning he was telling me that I really cannot paint when I have people … so it took time. And it was very enjoyable because I started going there on my own, and we sort of just sometimes recorded some interviews as audio. Then we went with Nicolas [Landa], the director of photography, and then for certain days we went with a whole team, including the producer, the sound man and even lights because it was important to have a beautiful portrait of his painting as well as his father and mother because as they are artists. The shooting had to be with a small team, but with proper lights for the paintings and everything.”
Torrent said that although The Song of the Butterflies focuses on one particular person, the film has universal themes that showcase the relationships amongst Indigenous communities, and these themes can prove relatable from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, as she put it.
“I’m always very clear that I don’t speak for Indigenous,” the director said. “Together with Rember and his family, we have constructed this story, hoping that it connects with other people, probably mainly with Indigenous communities, but I also think that it can connect with non-Indigenous people. … I hope it’s more universal. For example, it’s something that moves me a lot, and I’m not Indigenous.”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The Song of the Butterflies, directed by Núria Frigola Torrent, will premiere Monday, Aug. 30 at 10 p.m. on the POV program on PBS. Click here for more information.
